Pumpkin patches are officially a thing and seem to be increasing in popularity year on year… and as of 2019 there’s more of them locally. If you want to buy a cheap pumpkin then go to the supermarket – don’t even go anywhere near a pumpkin patch or farm – you WILL spend more money. And unlike most other ‘pick your own’ fruit and vegetables, pumpkins have generally already been cut from the vine – so it’s more ‘choose your pumpkin’ rather than pick it. The benefits? If you go on a good weather day with blue sky you can get some fabulous pictures of your children against a lovely backdrop; it’s more fun to choose your own and there’s more variety; children can ride in wheelbarrows; you can easily make a few hours out of it as the patches often provide additional activities; they’re free entry. The downside? The pumpkins are more expensive than those in the shops; your kids will probably want to buy more than one; and you may be tempted to spend cash on the activities there. So it’s up to you. So if you do want to go to a pumpkin patch or farm in or around Milton Keynes, where should you go? I’ve put together a list of the ones closest to where we live in Milton Keynes to help you decide. I’m not connected to any of them in any way. I am NOT going to keep an eye on all of these – so please check their own social media pages for updates regarding opening days and times and do not travel unless you know it’s open. They can be affected by bad weather. Also the closer you get to Halloween there’s a good possibility their stock of pumpkins will dwindle. So again check before you travel that they actually have some. If you find this information useful, please do one thing for me and join the Milton Keynes Kids discussion group on facebook and post your photos and reviews of any you visit in there – updates are really useful. Thanks.
Pumpkin Patch Milton Keynes, MK19 6DG – *EDIT* CLOSED FOR 2019 (CORRECT 27/10/19)
This place is new for 2019 and at the time of writing in September 2019, I haven’t been. So this is purely based on the information I’ve been given. There’s going to be 15,000 pumpkins as well as a 100 straw bale maze and a barrel train specially made to take kids for rides around the farm at the pumpkin patch Milton Keynes. It’s right on the edge of MK but certainly the closest to where we live. The address is Mount Mill, Deanshangar, MK19 6DG & their facebook is The Pumpkin Patch Milton Keynes. It’ll be open 10am – 4pm on 12/13 October and 19th-31st October. Pumpkins will be sold on size & start from £2. They’re teaming up with the local farm shop to sell homemade sausage rolls, vegan pumpkin pasties cakes and hot drinks. There will be wheelbarrows, It’s free entrance and free to park.
Trinity Hall Farm, Watling Street, Hockliffe, LU7 9PY
There’s a hidden pumpkin patch just off the A5 between Hockliffe and Dunstable. I spotted it on my way home from work but you’d easily miss it. It’s set back from the main road. If you coming from Milton Keynes it’s on the left hand side passed McDonalds – look for two pumpkin signs. It’s the first year they’re doing it and I’d describe it as a ‘no frills’ pumpkin patch – essentially there are pumpkins and hay bales – no other facilities and you have to pay by cash. It’s a great option if you want to support a local business rather than the supermarket but don’t want to spend a fortune buying loads of pumpkins and doing lots of activities at one of the bigger pumpkin farms. They’ve told me they’ll be open 10am – 5pm every day until Halloween or until they sell out. They have around 2000 pumpkins (correct 22/10/19) and they range in price from 50p for a small one up to £8 for a massive one. You park on the left hand side as you drive in. They’re happy for you to stay and take photos of the kids among the hay bales. So if you’re literally looking to buy a punpkin or two and take a few pictures it’s a nice option. Here’s the event details on facebook. I won’t be keeping an eye on when they run out so if you’re going nearer to Halloween I’d check availability.
The Pop Up Farm, AL3 8HT
There’s going to be thousands of pumpkins at the pop up farm just off junction 9 of the M1. This is the one we visited in 2018 as at that point it was the biggest, closest one to us. This is the only one we’ve visited out of those listed. They’re currently scheduled to open 5/6th and 12/13th October, then daily from 19th October – 31st October. You can visit for free and take lots of nice photos of the kids. AL3 8HT is the best postcode – it’s the same place that did the sunflowers in the summer. There’s 22 varieties and you pay for what you pick. Last year the pumpkins were more expensive than those in the supermarket – starting from £3.50 for little ones – so it’s not a place to get a cheap pumpkin. But we went more for the experience and getting some nice pictures and bought a couple of small pumpkins. My children liked going for rides in the wheelbarrows. It’s about 35 mins from Milton Keynes. Keep an eye on their facebook The Pop Up Farm before travelling for any updates. If you’re not local then I’d suggest you make more of a day of it. If you want to go to a pub with a play area the closest one we’ve found is The Three Blackbirds in Flamstead. The postcode is AL3 8BS and it’s only a few minutes away. If you’re looking for somewhere fun to go with the kids head to Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton which is free to visit – the best postcode is LU1 4LX and it’s about 10 minutes from the pop up farm.
Lillingstone Pick Your Own, MK18 5AF *EDIT* CLOSED FOR 2019 (CORRECT 27/10/19)
Lillingstone Pick your own is located between the villages of Lillingstone Dayrell and Akeley just off the A413 Buckingham MK18 5AF. At the time of writing this feature we hadn’t been. There’s going to be tractor rides, pony rides and face-painting. Activities come at an extra cost. It’s free entrance and free parking. They’re scheduled to be open 10am-4pm on 12/13 and 19/20 October as well 26th – 31st October. The price of pumpkins will depend on their size. This one was open last year although I’ve only just been made aware of it. The owners have planted more than 2500 pumpkin plants. They have five different varieties and pumpkins start from £2 – they’re then priced according to size. There will be free tractor rides on the days to transport people from the farm to the pumpkin field. You can follow updates on the Lillingstone pick your own pumpkin patch facebook page.
Farmer Paul’s Pumpkins, HP22 4DP
Bear in mind this is ‘Pick your own’ from the farm barn rather than from the farm field. It’s apparently because it prolongs the pumpkins’ life so they store better and don’t go rotten. They also need to clear the field to get it ploughed ready for next crop. Prices are 50p-£8. Pumpkins available every day until Halloween 11am – 4.30pm – the cafe is open too. The address is Weedon Hill Farm off the Buckingham Road, HP22 4DP, just outside of the town of Aylesbury. Cash only. Check their Facebook Page for the latest info.
Hitchin Lavender, SG5 3UA
Hitchin Lavender in Hertfordshire… famous for its erm… lavender… is also doing pick your own pumpkins this year. They start from £3.50. They couldn’t tell me how many they have but apparently they have loads. It’s free entry and free to park and they also have a hay bale maze. The address is Cadwell Farm, Hitchin SG5 3UA and they are open Wednesday to Sundays. Have a look at their facebook page for updates and message them if you need more info.
Hill Farm, Peterborough, PE7 3UA
This is a traditional pick your own farm with a children’s play area. The address is Oundle Road, Chesterton, Peterborough, Cambs, PE7 3UA. I can’t find too much about what’s there for 2019 at the moment although it has looked good in the past. Their facebook says pumpkins are already on sale (29/9/19) but prices vary. You can call them for more information according to their website.
Want more ideas of places to visit locally?
This whole website is full of reviews of free and cheap days out we’ve been on – click on blog for the most recent. If you like a big list then I put together this one of 30 free days out together for the summer holidays – most of the places you can still visit at any time of year with the exception of the splash parks which will no longer be open.